Building wall construction



March 2, 1937. w. N. EMRICK BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 27, 1936 TVFzrrGn ZWEmr Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED ST'i BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION Warren N. Emrick, Youngstown, Ohio Application October 2'7, 1936, Serial No. 107,869

Claims.

My present invention relates to a building wall construction and more particularly to such a construction in which a metallic structure is suitably built up to form either an internal por- 5 tion of a cemen'titious wall, or a support for a wall having a layer of cementitious material on one or both sides.

In the prior art there have been various attempts to construct walls of buildings of builtup metallic members or sections, principally us ing material analogous to wire lath for the Wall panels, upon which some cementitious material, such as ordinary plaster or stucco, may be applied according to the nature of the interior or 5 exterior finish desired. These prior art structures have, however, been somewhat deficient in that they have not provided adequately for the relative expansion or contraction to which the wall or walls are subjected, that is, the shrinkage 90 during setting of the cementitious material and the expansion and contraction produced by temperature changes, these factors causing movement toward or away from each other of the side panels of which such metallic constructions are formed, and in the same or other instances, causing relative movement of such panels in a substantially vertical direction. An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a Wall construction overcoming these difficulties. A further object of the present invention is to provide a wall construction of the character above generally set forth in which provision is made for minimizing the transference of heat from one side to the other of the wall construc- 35 tion, particularly at the joints between the panels of which the wall may be built and which are usually provided with metallic connecting means intermediate the inner and outer metallic wall forming members. As heat is conducted more 40 easily by the metallic connecting members or spacers than through the air space between the inner and outer metallic members, my, present invention provides for the retardation of heat transference at these essential points.

Another objectionable feature of the prior art constructions is that relatively long, vertically extending passages have been provided intermediate the inner and outer wall forming portions or members in which convection currents were 50 set up, resulting in a rate of heat transference between the walls greater than that desired. My

present invention overcomes this diifioulty by eliminating, except to a negligible degree, vertical convection currents Within the wall.

; Qther and more detailed objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification and appended claims, all when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 isa vertlcai transverse section of a building wall construction embodying my invention, taken on the line li of Fig. 2;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view with an intermediate portion broken out and other parts broken away and in vertical longitudinal section of the building wall shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail View of the metallic portions only of the building wall construction in horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and a Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified construction.

For the purpose of the present application, I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied tothe construction of a wall, which may include a layer of concrete on each side of the internal metallic construction to which my invention particularly pertains. Such a wall is suitable, for example, as a foundation wall for the building. It will be understood, however, that the metallic construction embodying my present invention may also be employed in the upper horizontal or inclined walls, or even'the roof portions of buildings, including commercial buildings, dwelling .houses,'etc., the. inner and/or outer surfaces of the metallic construction being suitably covered if desired by a layer or layers of cementitious material or otherwise finished. Such cementitious material may be concrete, plaster, stucco or other analogous materials.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, the wall construction shown includes a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed units I, each .of which is built up of spaced side panels 2 of metallic material interconnected by spacer members 3 at their upper and lower edges and by one or more intermediate spacer members 4. The side panels or members 2 may be substantially imperforate as shown and may be formed of sheet metal of any desired thickness, or if desired, these members may be foraminous or in some instances of expanded or corrugated metal. The spacer members 3, which are advantageously of the same length, horizontally, as the side panels 2, may be suitably connected to the latter by crimping the flanges 5 over the upper and lower edges of the side panels. If desired, these connections may be made more rigid by brazing, soldering or welding, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The

intermediate spacer members or ties 4 may be provided at any desired points where additional stiffening may be required. These members are narrow and may be made of strip metal. As shown, the members 4 have their end portions 6 extended through suitable apertures I in the side members or panels 2 and are turned down on the outside in crimping relation to the side members 2 as seen in Fig. 1. Here again if desired the ends 6 of the spacer members 4 may be rigidly connected to the side members 2 by brazing, soldering or welding as may be desired.

In building a wall, a plurality of the units I are arranged in superimposed relation as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 and are connected together on one or both sides by a plurality of laterally spaced substantially vertically extending ribs 8. These ribs may, if desired, be made of sheet material, as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, which may be bent up into the configuration shown in Fig. 3, or may be formed as shown at 8a in Fig. 4 in channel form. If desired, however, I may use conventional structural members, such as angles, T, or other desired shapes, for this purpose. The sidepanels 2 and spacer members 3 may be made of standard length, horizontally, and may be overlapped at the junctions.

Means are provided for fastening the vertically extending ribs 8 to the several superimposed units I. In the present instance, such means comprise a plurality of nuts and bolts indicated at 9. For convenience in assembly, the bolts 9 may have non-circular shank portions extending through correspondingly shaped apertures 20 in the side members 2. These apertures are illustrated as square at 20 in Fig. 2. By this means one is enabled to tighten the nuts on the bolts without the bolts turning. It will be understood, however, that any other suitable means of securing the ribs 8 to the several superimposed units may be employed if desired.

When the metallic structure, built up as aforesaid, is assembled, the spacer units 3, which may be of sheet metal bent up to a suitable configuration as shown in Fig. 1, cooperate with each other due to their juxtaposed relation to form horizontally extending dovetailed recesses II open to the outside. When the walls are poured, these recesses fill with cement thus forming horizontally disposed ribs I5 serving to strengthen the structure as a whole and to integrally unite the metallic construction and the cementitious walls.

After assembly of the internal metal structure as described, I usually construct forms of any of the usual types on both sides of the metal structure and spaced therefrom in order to provide room for the pouring of the concrete. I prefer to pour the two walls in one operation and by usual methods, thus forming a monolithic wall of concrete on both sides of the metal structure. It is, of course, possible to apply the cement to the metal structure by other methods or to pour the walls in several operations but the method described results in a cheaper and usually in a more durable structure. The present invention thus provides a method whereby a concrete structure or wall of a building, having an internal insulating air space and metallic shield, can be poured in a single operation.

A poured concrete wall is shown at I2 in Fig. 1; this wall having applied to the outside thereof a suitable finishing layer I3, which may be of any desired material to provide a finished surface to the wall. The wall I2, as shown in, Fig. 1, has

a thickness which is greater than that of the opposite wall I 4. I usually prefer to make the outer wall thicker than the inside wall of the building as shown in this figure. In many cases, where great strength is not necessary, the inner wall I4 may be merely of plaster or other cementitious material, usually covered with a suitable finishing layer I8 which may be calcimine or wall paper, for example. If the metal structure is made symmetrical on both sides as shown in the figures, any cementitious layer applied on the inside wall will enter the recesses II on this side thereby forming horizontal strengthening ribs I 5.

The intermediate portions of the spacer members 3 are preferably formed in an angular shape with sharp corners as shown at I! to provide interior horizontally disposed air spaces I8, which serve in practice to retard the heat transference through the wall at the joints between the several superimposed units. The shape of these members also tends to prevent the transfer of frost through the wall structure. The sharp angularity of the portions II of the spacer memher 3 also serves to provide what is in effect an expansion joint between the inside and outside of the metallic wall construction, so as to permit a relative expansive movement in the direction of the thickness of the wall under the influence of temperature differences or other types of movement, such as those which might be occasioned by physical shocks. Also, due to the configuration and disposition of the spacer members 3 and G, the inside and outside of the metallic construction may have a relative vertical movement, which might be caused by relative expansion due to heat. It is to be noted that the spacer members 4 are provided with an intermediate angularly disposed portion I9 for substantially the purposes as above outlined.

As the several units I are horizontally disposed and are of such dimensions that a plurality of them is required in superimposed relation to build up a wall of any substantial height, the convection current circulation within the wall will be negligible. I have found that, if the units I are so constructed as to provide an air space having a height of 3 feet or less, the transfer of heat by air convection currents will not be serious. This particular height has also been found advantageous in the construction of buildings since in the majority of cases it has been found possible to employ plans calling for a total wall height which is a multiple of 3 feet and which therefore can be constructed without the necessity of trimming the side panels 2. The spaces I 8 formed between the portions I! of the juxtaposed spacer members 3, being disposed in a horizontal direction, do not permit of vertical convection currents at this point.

I contemplate that, if desired, the interior spaces in any or all the units defined by the members 2 and 3 may be partially or wholly filled with any suitable filling material for the purpose of heat insulation. One such material which may be used is rock wool. It is also possible to employ insulating concrete in the construction of walls I2 and I4.

The wall construction described has many important advantages. Thus, an internal dead-air space is provided which serves as an effective heat insulation. The all-metal construction of this air space is obviously vermin and rat proof. The metal shell is inherently grounded during ordinary construction of the building and thus forms a highly effective protection against lightdisturbances of all kinds.

ning. This shell also forms an electrostatic shield or screen protecting against electrical The air space provides means for the passage of service pipes, etc. It keeps out both frost and moisture. And the expansion joints, which are provided both vertically and horizontally in the construction described, tend to reduce cracking of the concrete due to settling and other relative movements of the concrete walls.

While I have shown and described but one principal embodiments of my invention and one modified form thereof it will be understood that other modifications may be made as will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, as well as those suggested herein. I do not wish to be limited, therefore, except by the scope of the appended claims, which are to be construed as broadly as the state of the prior art permits.

What I claim is:

l. A building wall construction, comprising superimposed, horizontally extending units of metallic material, each said unit including spaced side members and horizontally disposed spacer members therebetween having provision for expansion and contraction in the direction of the thickness of the wall and also in a vertical direction, substantially vertically disposed metallic stifiening members connecting said superimposed units, and cementitious material applied to at least one outside surface of the metallic structure build up as aforesaid.

2. A building wall construction, comprising superimposed, horizontally extending units of metallic material, each said unit including spaced side members and horizontally disposed spacer members therebetween having provision for expansion and contraction in the direction of the thickness of the wall and also in a vertical direction, substantially vertically disposed metallic stiffening members connecting said superimposed units, and relatively thick, rigid layers of cementitious material applied tothe outer surfaces of the metallic structure built up as aforesaid.

3. A building wall construction, comprising superimposed horizontally extending units of metallic material, each said unit including spaced side members and horizontally disposed spacer members therebetween having provision for expansion and contraction in the direction of the thickness of the wall and also in a vertical direction, certain of said spacer members being associated with the upper and lower edges of said side members hardening horizontally disposed strengthening ribs, substantially vertically disposed metallic stiffening members connecting said superimposed units, and cementitious material applied to at least one outside surface of the metallic structure built up as aforesaid.

' 4;. A building wall construction, comprising superimposed, horizontally extending units of metallic material, each said unit including spaced side members and horizontally disposed spacer members therebetween having provision for expansion and contraction in the direction of the thickness of the wall and also in a vertical direction, certain of said spacer members being. associated with the upper and lower edges of said side members and, when the metallic structure is assembled, being so juxtaposed, constructed and arranged as to provide at the horizontal joints between said unitshorizontally disposed air spaces located intermediate said side members and serving to minimize transference of heat from one side to the other of the wall at the joints between said units, substantially vertically disposed metal lic stiffening members connecting said superimposed units, and cementitious material applied to at least one outside surface of the metallic structure built as aforesaid.

5. A building wall construction, comprising superimposed, horizontally extending units of metallic material, each said unit including spaced side members of metallic sheet material and horizontally disposed sheet metal spacer members therebetween, said spacer members having provision for expansion and contraction in the direction of the thickness of the wall andalso in a vertical direction, certain of said spacer members being associated with the upper and lower edges of said side members and when the metallic structure is assembled, being so juxtaposed, constructed and arranged as to provide at the horizontal joints between said units dovetailed channels adjacent the outer surface of said side members into which cementitious material may be placed to form upon hardening horizontally disposed strengthening ribs, said juxtaposed spacer members also including median angularly arranged portions which in the assembled relation of the spacer members form substantially rectangular horizontally extending air passages serving to minimize transference of heat from one side to the other of the wall at the joints between said units, substantially vertically disposed metallic stiffening members bolted to said superimposed units, and relatively thick layers of cementitious material on the opposite sides of the metallic structure built up as aforesaid.

WARREN N. EMRICK. 

